Health & Safety Update

The thing about being a volunteer is that eventually you have to do the jobs that must be done but aren’t necessarily enjoyable. Today I was updating the health and safety documents for 2018 which can be tedious but I take it seriously given that keeping our runners and spectators safe is of paramount importance.

But the really good bit for 2018 is that we’ve upgrade our traffic management. This year we are pleased to announce that we’ve extended the road closures for the safety of our runners. The high street will be completely closed for the 4k teen run and the children’s 1 mile. Previously traffic had been controlled segregated with cones, however last year I observed far too many idiotic drivers who simply didn’t care so I have worked with Community Traffic Management to ensure the roads main street is completely closed with diversions in place for vehicles. The street, as always, will also be closed for the children’s dash.

We also looked at the 10 and have some new safety provisions for 2018 in this race also. Last year runners were using the full width of the road AFTER the end of the road closure zone – therefore taking up the whole road with potentially oncoming traffic! So, runners will now be briefed on the start line as well as funnelled down to the left of the road prior to the end of the closure zone to ensure they keep left. Also, up in Fadmoor we’ve implemented periodic road closures around the right turn onto Sleightholme Dale Road to improve runner safety (even though it’s their choice to cut the corner into oncoming traffic!). Finally, Hagg Road (you know the one, with the cheeky final climb) will be closed to west-bound traffic so that runner won’t face any oncoming traffic on this narrow road (it will also mean our lead car can give his horn a rest!).

Running a safe event is really important to me a Race Directory and I take it very seriously. Hopefully you will appreciate the work we’ve done for 2018 after taking on feedback and looking at our own observations for previous years.